1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of communications and, more particularly, to communicating physical human interactions from one user to another over a communications network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most human interactions that take place over a communications network take the form of electronic messages such as electronic mails or instant messages. Other forms of communication provide users with deeper levels of interaction. For example, the use or exchange of audio and/or video data over a communications network can provide an added level of realism and immediacy to communications.
Still other communication systems attempt to enhance user interactions by incorporating sensory stimuli such as smell and taste. One such system can be implemented as a computer system peripheral device that can be activated responsive to control signals received over a communications network. For example, when a user visits a Web site capable of sending appropriately formatted control signals, the peripheral device can activate. The control signals are sent from the Web site or other network location to the user's computer system. The computer system then routes the control signals to the peripheral device. The peripheral device emits the smell and/or taste dictated by the control signals to complement the Web site.
Complementary systems such as this, while adding a level of realism to a user's online experience, do not serve to enhance communications among users. More particularly, such systems are not bi-directional and typically are not activated by a user for the benefit of communicating an action to another user. In consequence, the ability of a user to convey physical actions or gestures over a communications network is limited. That is, the current state of the art does not permit users to send, receive, or exchange physical human interactions such as handshakes, embraces, or the like in any meaningful way.